I-41 traffic in Outagamie County. PC: Fox 11 Online
OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Construction continues on State HWY 441 in Outagamie County. Traffic is down to one lane in each direction, between the area of College Avenue and the I-41 interchange.
The lane closures force people to merge, but some drivers are handling the merge wrong.
Semis, motorcycles, cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles travel highways and roadways on a daily basis. During this time of year, construction is something drivers face mile after mile.
And, in some cases, like here on 441 in Outagamie County, those construction zones lead to lane closures where people are forced to merge, something some say is easier said than done.
“People don’t like to merge. They don’t care if I’m a big truck or a small car. They don’t care if you’re there or not. They just come and kind of force you out of the way,” said Jim Reichow of Milwaukee.
Katie Schenk of Bonduel, added, “Some people are really good, as far as letting you merge in and taking their time and leaving space in between each car. Other people are no, they must be in a hurry or something is going on and they won’t let you in.”
The Appleton Police Department recently took to its Facebook page, with what it says is a trending topic in traffic safety, the concept of the zipper merge.
The idea it to use both lanes of traffic, up to the merge point, and then taking turns – merging into one lane — like a zipper.
“When you don’t go all the way to the merge point it creates a lot of roadway space that’s not being used. For example, you could end up with a half mile worth of lane that nobody is in and then three miles of backed up traffic in the other lane where you could have utilized that half mile, mile of lane that’s not used but keeping going until the signs direct you to merge into the other lane,” said Trooper Scott Reignier with the WI State Patrol.
While the concept is what law enforcement encourages motorists to do, because it keeps traffic moving , Riegnier said, “If everybody just does a one for one, it would go a lot smoother.”
Drivers like Katie Schenk admit, while they understand the concept of the zipper merge, they don’t like to see people passing them when they’re sitting in a backup and that could impact how courteous they are to other drivers. “It depends on my mood. If I’m just like chill, whatever, let them in. But I’m probably more the other way, more than likely, I won’t let them in,” added Schenk.
Law enforcement says drivers should check their ego before getting into a car. And, they should never straddle the middle lane or block a driver from passing in an open lane of traffic to a merge point.
“You gotta just be courteous, take your time, drive safe and just alternate merging into that traffic. If everybody just does one of one it will go a lot smoother,” added Reignier.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has more information about the zipper merge on it’s website too.
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